Day 38 - Martin Luther, Protestantism, Iconoclasm

Martin Luther was German priest and professor of theology who believed that the Catholic Church was highly corrupt and that their beliefs in salvation were not based on the Bible which, he thought was the only place for the church to derive rules to follow.  He also felt that worshipers were being allowed to buy their way into heaven which was unjust and contrary to the teachings of the Bible.  On 31 October 1517, Luther wrote to his bishop, Albert of Mainz, protesting the sale of indulgences (or remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven - the indulgence would be granted by the Catholic Church after the sinner confessed and received absolution). Martin Luther enclosed in his letter a copy of his "Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences," which came to be known as The Ninety-Five Theses.  Legend has it, he nailed to the door of a church at Wittenberg in Germany; it was printed and widely distributed in 1518 and it spread quickly throughout Germany and Europe within months fueling the Protestant Reformation.

With Protestantism came the idea that indulgences such as the extravagant artworks were unnecessary and a hindrance to spirituality.  This was in answer to the beautiful and fanciful artworks that were being commissioned by the church which was becoming widely run by officials who were corrupt and many of whom were from wealthy families and were use to such adornment.  The reform became very heated and wide spread iconoclasm, which is the destruction of religious icons, symbols, or monuments for religious or political motives, happened throughout northern Europe during 1556 - 1572.

Altar piece in St. Martin's Cathedral, Utrecht,
attacked in the Protestant iconoclasm in 1572.

The Protestant Reformation used the low-cost of printmaking in northern Europe which gave them the ability to mass produce persuasive imagery and spread their theology into the homes of the common worshipers.  This gave the worshipers a direct connection to the divine unlike Catholicism which many commoners may not be able to experience in person.

A rare Protestant image of Christ done by Hans Holbein the Younger, Noli me tangere.  It is small and naturalisticly styled and is devoid of iconic elements such as a the halo.  The absence of these iconic elements is a hallmark of protestant artwork

Hans Holbein the Younger's Noli me tangere (c. 1532-33)

References:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indulgence
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Reformation
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Reformation_and_art
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconoclasm